The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-10
The Last OF Congress.
THE CLOSING SCENES IN THE HOUSE AND
SENATE,

OF the unfinished business as possible
After midnight occupants of the gallerie
began to file out. and long before the exec
utive session. which Was called at 5 0 'cloc
A. NJ, they had been almost emptied. Al
through the night the clerks of all degree
kept steadily at work copying reports
engrossing bills and preparing matters fo
our Legislators to pass upon. Friday morn
ing when the day light took the place 0
the pale yellow light which pervades tn
Senate, the senators looked worn out b
their fatlgulng labors, but they struggles
Oh manfully to the end.
by 10 O'Clock the crowd was immense
Every seat in all the galleries was filled
and the crowd extended far back into tn
corridor. After all, there was nothing t
see. No lively debate, no eloquent speech
es ; fifty or sixty very tired men anxious
for the clock to reach the hour when the
might retire to bed WORKOUT clerks, witt
coarse and husky voices, reading The IN
interesting bills. That was about all
AT last the hour did come, and then tn
Senate literally f1ickered out. 1t did no
Ole IN blaze OF glorious oratory but grad
ually and peacefully TOOK its departure will
becoming senatorial dignity.
The failure of the two Houses to eyre,
on the Fertilization Bill was the subject O
At"AAAOho elAhOD9 opLDC VI liG CGItdtOEE.
A resolution of thanks to the presiding
officer was offered by Mr.. Harris and unan
imously adopted. At this point of time
(really about noon, but with the hands OF
the clock dial lingering mysteriously abou
the quarter befOre) there was a subsidenct
OF business and general lull in the Senate
Chamber. The President about that time
reached his room in the Capitol, having
been summoned by friends in both Houses
Senator Sherman, with Senator Salisbury
reported that the commigteeto await Upon
the President and inquire if he had any
| further communication to make to Con
gress had performed that duty, and had
been assured by the President that he had
no further communication 10 make. The
| presiding officer then announced that the
constitutional period of the Forty-ninth
Congress having been completed the Sen
ate stood adjourned without a day.
FAILURE OF THE DEFICIENCY BILL.
Mr.. Hale had not been able within the
seventeen minutes to which he had been
limited to have prepared and to present
the conference report Oh the General Def
cheney Appropriation bill, and. conse-
quently that bill has failed to become
law 1t was only an hour before noon
that the apprehension OF the failure of
the bill became general, and then haSty
arrangement was suggested, which receiv-
ed the assent of the House, looking to the
signing by the President of a printed copy
duly authenticated by the officials of the
two Houses, but the scheme failed The
effect of the failure will be more serious
than is generally believed, ina much as it
contained provisions for supplying press
ing demands for postal cards and stamps,
the denial of which will, it is expected,
seriously emharrass the department ard
the public. The legal machinery of the
government will also be materially disar-
ranged during the remainder of the pres
ent fiscal year, and no money will be avail
able for jurors, witnesses or marshals' fees
and many prisoners-notably those confn-
ed at Fort Smith. Ark.-can not be tried
for months 10 come. A number of sol.
diers claims, aggregating 500 900, which
had been certified by the Treasury, will
also fail of settlement, and the recent act
of Congress extending the free delivery
system to cities and towns having net less
than 10 600 inhabitants Or postal revenue
of not less than $4,000. must become in
operative until the beginning of the next
fiscal year, when the regular appropriation
act gees into effect.
COMBINATIONS.
Tie most significant work done while in
extra session during the early morning
hours, was the confirmation of James M.
Trotter, the colored nominee to the office
of recorder of deeds of the District of Co
lumbia. Among the other nominations
confirmed were those of Dabney H. Maury
of Virginia, to be envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary of the United
States to the Republic Of Columbia. and
Captain Adolphus w. Greedy, 5th Cavalry,
to be chief signal officer. with the rank of
brigadier general. Postmasters Glennan
of Norfolk, and Derr, of Roanoke, we're
also confirmed.
The House was In continuous session during |
the night of the 3d., and until noon Friday, |
The most noteworthy feature of the closing
hours was the caustic criticism of Mr.. Reed up
,ns Sill rho hand a o the
were set back several times, AS they finally
and calling the House to order, said:
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,
The time for the final adjournment of the For
ty- ninth Congress has arrived, and will not
detain you moment longer than is necessary
to return my sincere Acknowledgements for the
uniform and valuable assistance you have rem
dered every proper effort to preserve order and
facilitate the transaction of public business.
thank you also for the resolution passed
this morning and for the many evidences of
sonal and official intercourse members in
this House, and sincerely wish each and every
one of you happy reunion with family and
friends. and now declare this House adjourn
ed sine die.
THE RECORD OF CONGRESS.
The session of Congress just closed. as charged
by the Republican leaders, has accomplished
A summary OF sins of omissions is made by
The Philadelphia Press as follows:
The tariff has not been touched the silver
question has been left in worse state, if any
hing, than before; the Pacific Railroad indebt-
edness left increasing under the uncertain pro-
visions of the old Thurman act; the bankrupt
~ laws left to the varying statues of the States;
he basis for the national bank circulation still
allowed to dwindle away without anything as
substitute; the tobacco tax left unrepealed /;
he Blair Educational Bill smothered; the SUI
,reme Court still years hopelessly behind in its
asses; the INDECENT veterans still in the county
,oorhouses; the navy still the laughing stock
# the world and the seacoast cities still at the
senate has been Intelligent and progressive
nut the Democratic majority in the House, di-
ided between bitterly opposing factions, has K
topped short to let the personal fight go on.
THE GREAT TARIFF STRUGGLE,
The great struggle of the session was on the .
fort to reduce the tariff. Mr. Morrison. who !
Gent for debate that matter, found his
pinion changed by his own defeat, and resolv-
d to force vote on his own measure. He made
motion to go into the Committee of the Whole fl
consider revenue bills, early in January, but #
'as defeated by six votes. He talked about
wing it again later in the session, held several
differences with the Free-trade leaders, and
lade calculations of his strength once to twice q
ut none of the results were encouraging and r
econd vote never took place. Mr.. Randall, Ii
no with his Protectlonist Democrats opposed ~
i'm. threatened to bring in a bill of his own,
ut, as MIR. Randall probably had calculated,
lie session passed without his even getting it
good position 30 bring before the House.
is effort, however, was the cause OF endless
differences and q running series of promises z
lat something should be done. His followers
liked of his bill first then Joined with Virgin re
and other Southern Democrats in general n
Tort after revenue revision and finally con n,
,ntrated on single proposition, which would r.
ave been supported by the Republicans to VI
peal the tax on tobacco. Speaker Carlisle,
)weyer, arbitrarily refused to recognise any
by. either Republican or Democrat to make
e motion. and after q bfoadside of letters on | -
Their side of the controversy, the whole matter Y
as allowed to drop. There is much reasonable
)ubt as to whether either MIR. Randall or Mr. 81
Orrison really intended to do anything, Mr. II
andall refused when the way was open to pl
M on Mf. MorgiEon's original motion to con- I'll
der revenue bills, and there is strong ground
+ suspicion that Mr. Morrison knew the
rength of his opposition at that time and |
ould not have pushed his motion had he been .
rtain that it would have been carried. Il
MONEY FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS d.
The appropriations for public buildings aggre- c.
Northern stales. and 81 $50 900 to towns In the 7,
uth. -
rhe Judiciary Committee made their greatest
lumph in the Mormon bill, which passed both | TO
buses and became law without the approval u
the President, at the expiration of The ten
ys within which it had to be returned either ~
proved or vetoed. ~
AFFAIRS OF THE NAVY.
In naval affairs the proposed legislation was II
the direction of new ships new guns and "a
W naval ordnance That it was far from sue in IL,
ssful was due to the opposition of Democrats a.
the Randall Holman Strjna yUHa r